Essential oils and their properties: Reference Guide App

The essential oils are organic compounds extracted from plants with enormous healing properties. The use of essential oils for medicinal purposes is often called aromatherapy, a holistic treatment that seeks to improve physical, mental and emotional health. For more than 5,000 years, many different cultures have used these healing plant oils to treat a variety of health problems. They are often used in relaxation, beauty care, cleaning the home and commonly as a natural medicine. Since the use of essential oils is present in many countries, it is difficult to determine precisely where the practice originated. The oils have been used by Jews, Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, both in the form of cosmetics, perfumes, and medicinal purposes. Some cultures even use oils in spiritual rituals. In 1928, the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé used lavender oil to cure a burn on his hand. He then decided to further analyze the properties of lavender oil and how it co...